Various means have been provided for preventing the rotting or deterioration of wood in standing poles such as those used for supporting telephone wires, power transmission lines and the like. Standing poles of this type are usually treated before they are inserted into the ground. However, if the treatment is ineffective, or if the pole is subjected to unusual conditions, a rotting and deterioration of the wood may take place. The greatest deterioration usually takes place at or near the ground line. As this is the part of the pole which is subjected to greatest strain, the preservation of this portion of the pole is of utmost importance.
Various types of wood-preservative packages or bandages have been suggested for the ground-line treatment of standing poles. One of these types of packages consists of a coating of preservative material applied to a polyethylene-backed kraft paper. A thin sheet of polyethylene is removed at the time of pole treatment for direct contact with wood. Handling problems have resulted with these packages due to the fact that the wood-preservative material is toxic and the installer often ends up directly contacting it.
Another of these types of packages has a wood-preservative material applied to a supporting sheet material and a water-soluble film overlying the wood-preservative material. This package is wrapped around the pole with the water-soluble film in contact with the wood. The water-soluble film is not perforated and thus the package is only effective after it rains. Even when it rains, the rain may not be sufficient to completely dissolve the film, particularly below ground level, thereby preventing portions of the wood-preservative material from contacting the wood.
Wood-preservative packages are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,875,020; 2,955,331; and 3,199,945. U.S. Pat. No. 2,875,020 discloses a wood-preservative package comprising: a porous, fibrous, oil and water-permeable sheet; a layer on one side of said sheet of an inert oil-based carrier of grease-like consistency containing at least 2% pentachlorophenol; and a synthetic, resinous oil and water-impervious film completely enclosing the sheet and layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,955,331 discloses a wood preservative package comprising: a sheet of fibrous paper having a grease-resistant heat sealable coating thereon; a layer of wood-preservative material arranged in a layer upon said coating spaced from the edges of said sheet; a layer of fibrous tissue overlying said wood-preservative material and secured to said sheet outwardly of said preservative material layer; said sheet with its coating, said grease proof material and said layer of tissue being folded intermediate the ends of the sheet; the ends and side edges of said sheet being heat-sealed together, whereby when said sheet is unfolded, together with said preservative material and said tissue layer, and wrapped about a pole with said fibrous tissue layer against said pole, said tissue layer may act as a wick to transmit said preservative material to said pole, said preservative material comprising a greasy substance containing heavy fractions and less viscous fractions, said tissue restraining the heavier fractions of said material and permitting passage of said less viscous fractions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,945 discloses a wood-preservative package comprising: an outer sheet of pliable grease resistant material; a layer of wood-preservative material arranged on said sheet and spaced from the edges thereof; said outer sheet and said layer of preservative material being folded intermediate the ends of said outer sheet forming a doubled edge at the outer sheet forming upper and lower sheet portions with the preservative material forming upper and lower preservative layers, the ends and side edges of said outer sheet being sealed together to form a seam with a space existing between the seam and the edges of said preservative layers; upper and lower separator sheets of porous separator material between said preservative layers for permitting separation of said layers, said upper sheet being severable along a severance line between the seam and said edges of the wood-preservative layers so that the sheet may be unfolded together with the layers of wood-preservative and the unfolded package may be placed against a wood surface, and an attachment strip in said space secured to the upper outer sheet between said severance line and the preservative material and extending from the edge of the upper separator sheet in said space so that said strip will lift the upper separator sheet as the upper outer sheet portion is raised after being severed along said severance line.